2 Trial Transcripts from the Old Bailey:
Trial 1:
HENRY SAMUEL CHESTER was again indicted with THOMAS ARMENT , and THOMAS ARMENT the younger , for stealing 54 1/2 yards of damask, value 25l.; the goods of Thomas Charles Druce and another, the masters of Chester: to which
CHESTER pleaded GUILTY . Aged 24.
MESSRS. BODKIN and BALLANTINE conducted the Prosecution.
WALTER CALDWELL . I am salesman to Messrs. Keith and Co., of Cheaptide. I remember selling these two pieces of crimson damask to Watson and Co., of Holborn-hill—our selling price to the trade would be 9s. 6d. a yard—the pattern of it is peculiar to ourselves; I do not believe any one else makes it—I had only these two pieces of that warp, and they were sent to Watson's—it was a job lot at 7s. 9d., or 8s. a yard.
Cross-examined by MR. HUDDLESTON. Q. Did you make no more than these two pieces? A. No; they were made for stock to sell to the first customer—I have made a good deal since of the same pattern, but not of the same quality—I have got on this one, the number and mark and length—here are fifty-four yards and a half—I have made others of this pattern cheaper than this—a warp when made a certain length would make two or three pieces—this warp made only two pieces—this is an out of the way pattern—I never saw it made by any one else—it is for curtains and for covering chairs.
THOMAS RUSSELL . I am town traveller to Messrs. Watsons, of Holborn-hill. I purchased the crimson damask of Messrs. Keith and Co.—we have one of the pieces—the other piece I sent on approval to Mesrs. Druce and Co., about 16th of Sept.—I sent for it again in Dec, I did not get it back—the piece that we had in stock is now here.
WILLIAM WATKINS FRAY . I am manager of Messrs. Thomas Charles Druce and another's business, 200, Regent-street—they have likewise an establishment at Baker-street bazaar—I received a piece of this crimson damask from Messrs. Watsons, on approval—I believe this is the piece (looking at it)—it was sent for in Dec., and we could not find it.
Cross-examined. Q. Do you say that you have not sold it? A. I have not—we do not enter in our books what we receive on approval—if we had got a customer we should have sold it, but then we should enter it in out books—I believe our books are not here—myself and Henry Payne are in Messrs. Druce's employ—there have been no others since Sept.—Henry Payne is not here—this damask has not been at Baker-street—the establish ment in Regent-street is a large establishment—the one in Baker-street it larger—there are four persons at the Baker-street basaar—if a customer wanted anything which they had not got there, they would tend to Regent-street with a written order, and the goods would then be booked and sent—Mr. Druce is in partnership with Mr. Broadhurst, and has been for six years, I believe—Mr. Druce is not a clerk to Mr. Broadhurst—the names are Druoe, Brock, and Co., at Regent-street—I do not know such t person at Brock, the firm is Druce and Broadhunt.
THOMAS COBLEY (policeman, K 65). On 14th Dec. I saw the younger Arment in Whitechapel-road—I asked him some questions, and in consequence of his answers I took him into custody—on the following day I saw some crimson damask at Mr. Jackson's, an upholsterer's, in shorediteh—I look it into my possession, but not on that occasion—this produced is it—there are from thirty-six to forty yards of it—within about a fortnight afterwards I went to Mr. Hewetson, an upholsterer, in Tottenham-court-road; I there got about eighteen yards of the damask—these are the pieces.
GEORGE SPENCEE WALL . I do not know the prisoner Chester, I have never seen him—I know the two Arments—I saw this damatk about 12th or 14th Oct., at the elder Arment's house, in the Tenter-ground—I had sold something for him before, and on going to his house he produced this damask—it was then in one piece—he asked me if I could sell it for him—I said I never did sell any, but I would try—he wanted 6s. a yard for it—I took and tried it more than a week—I could not tell it at that, being in one piece—I took one yard as a sample—this is it—I told the elder Arment, in three or four days afterwards, at bis house, that I could not tell it—I told him I was only offered 3s. 6d. a yard for it, (Mr. Jackson had offered me that)—he said he would not take that, and I never saw him again for several days afterwards—I then asked him whether he had told the damask—he said, "No, and he was inclined to take the 3s. 6d."—I went to Mr. Jackson, and told him—he said he would not mind taking it at 3s. 6d.—he had bought the whole of it, but I happened to go into Tottenham-court-road, and called at Mr. Hewet-son's, and they offered to buy some at 5s. a yard—I met Mr. Arment at he was going to Jackson's, and told him I had got a better bargain for sixteen yard of it—the younger Arment was with hit Gather then—we went into a public-house and had something to drink—we remained there about a quarter of an hour—we agreed that the younger Arment should go to Jackson's with the thirty-seven yards, and that I should take the sixteen yards to Hewetson's—the father left us at the public-house, and the younger one and I went to a haberdasher's shop at the corner of Houndsditch—the younger Arment remained outside the shop—I went in, and the gentleman in the shop cut the silk damask—I took the sixteen yards and a half—I left the remainder with young Arment—I had written a bill—this is it (looking at it)—I left it with young Arment—I took the sixteen yards and a half up to Howetson's, and left it there—I received of him 4l.—I met young Arment at seven o'clock in the evening at the Pied Horse, in Chiswell-street—I paid him the money, deducting 12s. as my commission; he gave me an acknowledgment for it—this is part of it, it tore in my pocket, and a part of it is lost—I saw him write it and sign it, I did not see the elder Arment for some time afterwards.
Cross-examined. Q. Where do you carry on business? A. At 42, Great Charles-street, City-road—I was taken into custody, and then I made a statement of all that I knew of this transaction—when they found out how it was, they made me a witness—I was discharged on my own recognizance—I have been in the habit of selling things for different persons as a commission-agent for thirty-five years—when I sell goods, I generally take a sample and show it—there was nothing in this transaction that excited my suspicion—I received a sample, and went to a number of places to try to get the price—I do not know what are called "damaged lots"—if an article is sold by itself, it will fetch a less price than if sold in bulk—I had no offer at all till Mr. Jackson gave me an offer of 3s. 6d.—I made no concealment about this—I went to some of the first houses in London—I mentioned the price I was to ask—I mentioned to Mr. Arment that I had been to a great many places, and that was the only offer I could get—he refused to let it go at that price—it might be a week afterwards that he gave me instructions to take that price—Mr. Hewetson keeps a large manufactory for bedding, and chain, and tables, in Tottenham-court-road, and Mr. Jackson is in the same way—it does happen that commission-agents sometimes do business at public-houses, and sometimes at the houses of the persons.
JOSEPH JACKSON . I am an upholsterer, and live in Shoreditch. I believe I purchased this thirty-six yards of crimson damask of Wall on 24th Oct.—I paid 3s. 6d. per yard—I paid by a check, which I produce—he was to have brought fifty-four yards, and when it came there were but thirty-six—I thought it had been Wall that brought it, but I believe it was the younger Arment—he is the penon to whom I gave the check—this is the bill of parcels (produced)—the contract was made with Wall—the person who brought the goods to me afterwards put his name to the bill of parcels.
GEORGE SPENCER WALL (re-examined). Here is ray own name written at the bottom of this invoice as making the contract—this name of "Thomas Arment," written underneath, I did not see written, it is not my name—the younger Arment is the person to whom the thirty-six yards were given with this bill to take to Mr. Jackson.
Cross-examined. Q. This has written on it, "Cash by bearer,—G. S. Wall? "A. Yes—I handed the bill to the younger Arment, with this writing on it.
MR. JACKSON, re-examined. About a month afterwards the younger Arment came to me and brought me two samples of damask—he said he had them to sell—he said I might as well buy them of him as I had bought some of him through Wall a little time before—he was a stranger to me—I said I would not buy them of him, I did not recollect him—he said I had before bought a piece of crimson damask of him through Wall, and I might as well buy it of him, as I understood him, without agency—I sold two yards of the damask at 3s. 9d. a yard.
Cross-examined. Q. How long have you been carrying on business in High-street, Shoreditch? A. Twelve or fourteen years—I believe it sometimes happens, in the course of business, that we have considerable bargains with what they call "job lots"—I suppose we have them of persons who pick them up at auctions—I cannot say whether what I gave was the value of this damask—I bought it as French goods and a job lot, not enough for a suite of furniture, which for window-curtains, chair-covers, and two couches, would require about a hundred yards—when silk is sold in a less quantity, we give a less price for it—I frequently buy of commission-agents—when young Arment came to me on the second occasion, he himself alluded to the transaction I had had with Wall—I did not recollect Arment—I drew the check for Wall.
MR. BODKIN. Q. You say you bought this as French goods; did you examine it? A. I examined the yard—I now find that it is English—I should be very much surprised to hear that it cost 9s. a yard.
HENRY FOTHERGILL . I live at Messrs. Hewetson's, in Tottenham-court-road; they are extensive upholsterers. I bought sixteen yards and a half of this damask for 5s. a yard—I did not take it for French—I paid Wall for it—he showed me a sample, from which I bought it—fifty four yards or thirty-six yards would not be enough to make a suite of furniture—I know that silk of this description is made in lengths of fifty or fifty-four yards, but you can always get more at the manufacturers—this would be used to cover a sofa or an easy chair.
SUSANNAH BATIMAN . I am the wife of Thomas Bateman; he lives at the Georgt public-house at the corner of Little Prescot-street, Goodman's-fields. I know the elder Arment—he brought this check to me on the evening of the 25th or 26th Oct., and asked me to give him cash for it—he said it was one he had taken in the course of his business—I looked at it, and said, "If you place your name at the back, I will change it for you"—he said, "I can't write; I will thank you to do it for me"—I wrote his name on the back—I knew he was a coal-merchant—I had had four tons of coals of him—I did not know he kept a coal-shed.
Cross-examined. Q. Do you know whether he is a person who sells things on commission? A. No—I never had any dealings with him, but ever since I have had that house I have known him as a customer—he asked me for an order for coals, and I gave it him—I knew his name, and wrote it for him.
LANCELOT ROWLANDSON . I am an upholsterer, and live at 83, White-chapel-road. About three months ago the younger Arment came to me, and offered to sell some crimson silk-damask similar to this—I asked him where it came from—he said he sold it for a small manufacturer in Spitalfieldi—I declined it—I believe he offered me this piece of goods at 3s. 6d.—he told me afterwards he had sold it to Mr. Jackson for 3s. 6d.
JOHN DAVIS (City-policeman, 551). I know the two Arments—the elder Arnent lives in the Tenter-ground, near Prescot-street, and keeps a coal-shed—I have seen the younger Arment; I was given to understand that be lived with his father—I have seen him down there—I know the elder Annent has kept the coalshed four or five months.
THOMAS ARMENT
THOMAS ARMENT, JUN.
NOT GUILTY
Trial 2:
HENRY SAMUEL CHESTER, THOMAS ARMENT , and THOMAS ARMENT, the younger , were again indicted for stealing 90 yards of damask, value 18l.; the goods of Thomas Charles Druce and another, the masters of Chester.— 2d COUNT, charging Thomas Arment and Thomas Arment, the younger, with receiving the same; to which
CHESTER pleaded GUILTY . Aged 24.— Transported for Ten Years.
MR. BALLANTINE conducted the Prosecution.
WILLIAM WATKINS FRAY . I am in the employ of Thomas Charles Druce and another. This buff and crimson damask belongs to them; it was not sold—I missed the exact quantity which has been found—this is a piece which was a cover of a chair which I believe to be the same—I saw this in our stock on 1st Sept.—young Arment was taken about the middle of Dec.—when I came to look for this I found it was gone.
Cross-examined by MR. HUDDLESTON. Q. From whom did you get it? A. From Messrs. Holdsworth; they are large manufacturers—I have no mark on this—I know it because I have another piece of the same pattern—this other piece of damask has no mark on it—I bought this of M'Crie and Ball; they are large manufacturers—the whole of this piece was thirty, and here are twenty-nine yards.
HINRT HOLDSWORTH . I am the agent to Messrs. Hoidsworths' manufactory, at Halifax. This buff and crimson damask is our manufacture—there were only five pieces made of this pattern and colour, and Messrs. Druce had them all.
GEORGE SPENCER WALL . I know the two Arments—I believe they live in the Tenter-ground—I have been to their house—I do not know that they live together—I saw this yellow damask once at the police-office—this buff and crimson damask I have seen before; the elder Arment gave it me to sell, I think, in Oct—I went to Mr. Jackson's, and to several places—I showed it to Mr. Jackson, but did not sell it to him—I took it back, and delivered it to old Mr. Arment—this crimson damask the elder Arment gave me to sell—I sold twenty or twenty-one yards, at 1s. 7d. a yard, to Mr. Jackson—I paid the money to the elder Arment—it was between 1l. and 2l., deducting nay own commission, 2d. a yard.
JOSEPH JACKSON . I keep a shop, in High-street, Shoreditch. I purchased this crimson damask of Wall—I believe I paid him 1s. 7d. a yard—he afterwards brought the crimson silk damask that I spoke of before, and I believe he brought this buff and crimson one together with it, if I saw this one before Wall showed it me.
COURT. Q. What is the value of that you bought at 1s. 7d.? A. I suppose 2s. 6d., or 2s. 9d., in the whole piece—I objected to the other, as it was a large pattern, and this was small.
Cross-examined. Q. Was 1s. 7d. a price you would give for a remnant? A. I could not give more—I should not consider it worth more.
ROBERT CARTER . I am a wholesale-upholsterer, and live in the Minories. I bought this crimson and buff damask of the younger Arment, about the middle of Nov., at 1s. 9d. a yard—there were thirty yards of it—I asked him where he got it—he said in exchange for packing-mats, which are mats used for packing upholstery goods—I paid him two guineas and a half for this altogether—this is a damaged piece—if it were perfect it would be worth 84s. or 85s. a piece—this was damaged in the dye, and from lying in an upholsterer's shop—it was exposed in my warehouse for three weeks, and offered for sale at 2s. a yard.
Cross-examined. Q. Is it in a saleable condition? A. Decidedly not—I
have known Arment for four years—he sold some music-stools to our people—I understood he was a seller or maker of those articles.
HENRY HOLDSWORTH re-examined. This is not damaged in the dye—it is as good a colour as you could expect—the colour did not answer my expectation, and I sold it at a reduced price, at 3s. 6d., to Messrs. Druce, for them to get a profit on it.
JAMES GEORGE HURST . I am a labourer, in the London Bocks. I know both the Arments—the younger one was a fellow-labourer with me, and I have understood that he occasionally works after hours with his brother, in making music-stools—the elder Arment keeps a coal-shed in the Tenter-ground—the younger Arment told me that he was out on bail; he did not tell me what for—after that I saw the elder Arment—he asked me if I would accompany him to the West-end for a walk—I accompanied him to Portland-street, Oxford-street—he enquired after a man named Chester—I showed him Chester's house—(I had seen Chester one week previous to that)—Chester was not at home—we went to a coffee-house, and waited—he came, and he and the elder Arment had some conversation; I did not hear any part of it—Chester gave me a sovereign and a shilling to give to the elder Arment, which I did.
Cross-examined. Q. Did you know Chester's house before? A. On 22d Dec. the younger Arment came to me while he was out on bail, and asked me to accompany him to Chester's—I was not before the Magistrate—I have not been examined as a witness by any person—they found me in the London Docks to-day, and told me what they wanted me for—I recollect the date, by its being the Friday in the week before Christmas—young Arment took me to Chester's, as a witness—Chester was not at home—we met him in the street-young Arment spoke to him—he said he was in trouble, and he wished him to advance a little money to assist him in his defence; he did not say why—that was all that took place that evening.
MR. BALLANTINE. Q. When young Arment said be wanted some money for his defence, what answer did Chester make? A. That he had none then to give him, but would give him some in a few days.
THOMAS COBLBT (policeman, K 65). On 14th Dec. I was in Whitechapel-road—I saw the younger Arment offering a piece of yellow damask for sale to Mr. Jewel, a broker—he did not buy it—I followed young Arment, and when I came up to him I asked him what he had there—he hesitated at first, and then said, "Stuff"—I said, "What stuff?" and after some further hesitation he said, "Damask"—I then asked him where he got it—he said he bought it at a sale-room—I said, "What sale-room?"—he said he did not know—I said that was very unsatisfactory—he then said he was entrusted with it by a man to sell—I asked him what man, and who he was—he said he did not know—I told him he must go to the station-house with me—he immediately said he had bought it in a public-house—I asked him what public-house—he said he did not know—when he got to the station he said he bought it at a public-house kept by a man named Webb, in Whitechapel—he said he had never dealt in any damask, or sold any before.
Cross-examined. Q. Were you examined before the Magistrate? A. Yes—what I said was taken down—I was not examined before the Grand Jury—I made no memorandum in writing of what was said.
MR. BALLANTIHE. Q. The conversation applied only to this yellow damask? A. Yes; the crimson was found at Mr. Jackson's afterwards.
WILLIAM WATKINS FRAY re-examined. Chester was in Messrs. Druce's employ, as a porter—he would have access to the place where this property was—I had seen this yellow damask last on 1st Sept.; it was all we had of it left—we found in Dec. that it was gone—between the 1st Sept. and the 14th Dec. we had not sold any of it,
THOMAS ARMENT—Aged 67.
THOMAS ARMENT. JUN.—Aged 28.
GUILTY of receiving — Transported for Ten Years .
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Australian Convict Ship Project
Abt 1821 - 1880 (59 years)
